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View my Top 25 Photos: Egypt

January 2010 – All Around Egypt

On my first post about Cairo, I noted the crazy surplus of cars on the Egyptian roadways….Now I know why.

Apparently, the Egyptian government spends almost $11 billion each year to subsidize gasoline and cooking fuel, making gasoline only about $1.30 per gallon.

This is in comparison to the government spending $6 billion on education and $3 billion on healthcare. So you can drive in Egypt, you just better not be driving to the hospital.

A recent article in an English-language Egyptian paper discusses how the middle and upper class can’t live without the gas subsidy now (‘cause it’s not the poor Egyptians who are driving cars). It also talks about the McMansions, Egypt style, that are now common among the middle class earning good incomes working in the Gulf or as part of the globalized work force.

Egyptian at Train Station

Which is great — Everyone should be able to own a McMansion if they want one. (But why would you? Mini living so much more rewarding!) The newspaper article ends by saying that more Egyptians can now live like Americans, but even more Egyptians can’t afford to live like Egyptians.

To me, this means the lower class is being squeezed. Not only can they not afford a higher-end lifestyle, they can’t even afford their traditional lifestyle. A pity when Egyptians have the longest and arguably the noblest traditions in the world.

I hope a few of my photos capture the essence of Egyptian culture and tradition. Enjoy some of my favorite shots: